Bamboo is a leading environmentally-friendly textile. However, there are two major obstacles that are blocking its wider adoption in the marketplace - its lack of UV radiation protection and the bacteria blooms that can lead to unsanitary and odorous clothing.
Despite bamboo’s promise as an eco-friendly fibre, its untreated form has plenty of room for improvement, according to researcher Subhash Appidi from Colorado State University. Raw bamboo fabric lets almost all damaging UV radiation pass through and reach the skin. And while many tout bamboo’s inherent anti-bacterial properties, Appidi found that untreated bamboo fabric did not live up to antimicrobial expectations.
“All cellulose fibres allow more moisture to leak in and provide more food for bacteria to eat. That’s why bacteria grow more on natural fibres rather than synthetic fibres,” said Appidi.
Medical use
Appidi’s goal is to create clothes of medical use that are 100 per cent antibacterial and UV-resistant. This lead Appidi to increase the UV-protecting abilities of fabric by colouring pieces of commercially-available bamboo cloth in a dye laced with UV absorbing chemicals. After finding the optimal concentration of absorbing chemicals, he tested UV protection levels.
Furthermore, to on the intrinsic antibacterial properties of bamboo, Appidi treated pieces of commercially purchased bamboo fabric with Tinosan - “one of the better antibacterial agents on the market right now,” said the researcher.
These treatments resulted in a significant 75-80 per cent reduction in bacteria and a profound increase in UV protection, he said. In terms of “ultraviolet protection factor” (UPF), any value of over 50 is deemed safe against UV rays. According to Appidi, his treated fabric almost reached 56.
The results were reported at the 235th national meeting of the American Chemical Society.
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Date Published: April 07, 2008
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